At Mahjong Together, generations meet over tiles, conversation, and friendly rivalry
On Sunday afternoons at Toa Payoh West Community Club, mahjong tiles clack steadily across the room as players shuffle stacks into walls and call out their moves.
At each table, four players lean forward in concentration—scanning their tiles, calculating their next move, and occasionally pausing to trade friendly jabs across the table.
But the tables here bring together a unique mix of players.
Across from a retired uncle might sit a junior college student. An auntie in her seventies might be teaching a teenager the finer points of reading discarded tiles.
They have gathered here for Mahjong Together, a youth-led initiative that brings seniors and young volunteers together over one of Singapore’s most recognisable games—and it’s grown so popular that seniors have to ballot every week just to get a seat.
Mahjong Together was started by a group of four students
Mahjong Together first began in 2021, started by four students from Dunman High School who wanted to do more for their community. Inspired by stories of senior isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, they set out to create meaningful, intergenerational interaction.
Today, the programme is run by a committee of 15 youths, mostly students, who rotate annually and manage its operations, outreach, and volunteer recruitment.
Each session pairs 24 youth volunteers with 24 elderly participants for three hours of mahjong, with no money involved.
Youth volunteers (Mahjong Together currently accepts those aged 15 to 30) are recruited monthly via online sign-ups, with about 70 to 90 participants joining each month. Sessions are held most regularly on Sunday afternoons at Toa Payoh West Community Club, though they occasionally take place at other community clubs, active ageing centres, and care homes across Singapore.
What makes Mahjong Together distinctive is its simplicity.
There are no structured lessons, formal service activities, or strict agendas. Instead, the game itself becomes the bridge between generations. Four players at a table, a wall of tiles to build, and three hours of conversation and strategy create a natural space for intergenerational bonding.
Its popularity highlights the programme’s success: by 2025, sessions were frequently oversubscribed, prompting the introduction of a ballot system to give more people a fair chance to attend.
More than just a game
Seniors who have attended the sessions speak highly of the experience.
“I’m very happy when I get the chance to play,” said 73-year-old retiree Kong Yoke Kew in an interview with the Straits Times. He had been attending Mahjong Together at Toa Payoh West Community Club for two years. “I look forward to it every week.”
The sessions are as beneficial as they are enjoyable.
For seniors, they provide a reason to leave the house and engage with the community, helping to combat social isolation. Mahjong also doubles as a mental workout, exercising memory, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking.
Meanwhile, youth volunteers gain insight into older generations, hearing stories from decades past and perspectives rarely encountered in school. For many, that sense of connection and community keeps them coming back week after week, long after their first session.
Unlike structured intergenerational programmes, Mahjong Together fosters interaction naturally. Seniors and youth sit as equals at the same table, playing, exchanging tips, and sharing stories over the course of the game.
As Singapore’s population ages, the country doesn’t just need more hospitals—it needs more spaces like this, where people of different generations can meet, connect, and spend time together.
- Find out more about Mahjong Together here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Singapore’s current affairs here.
Featured Image Credit: Mahjong Together